


A Lesson in Getting Along | Rumbelle!Children AU

by rumplestiltskinsbulge



Series: Long Lost Friends [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), ouat
Genre: F/M, Rumbelle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-04 21:51:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumplestiltskinsbulge/pseuds/rumplestiltskinsbulge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Anthony Gold doesn’t like being ignored. Least of all when his friend, Belle, ignores him for her books.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson in Getting Along | Rumbelle!Children AU

**Author's Note:**

> Can also be found/Reblogged on Tumblr at: http://grumplegold.tumblr.com/

Anthony was pouting, his mother noticed. “Sweetie, what’s the matter?” She tucked strands of her sandy blonde hair behind her ear as she crouched down to her young boy He sat on their plush, tan couch, arms crossed and a sour look on his little face.

“Belle won’t play with me.” he grumbled, and his mother tried not to chuckle. 

“Did you ask her to play?” She asked him, tilting her head a bit. Her brown eyes were gentle but twinkled with a spark of amusement. He always was quite a sight to see when he pouted. He tried to act tough and as though nothing bothered him, but her little boy could brood like no other.

“No,” he huffed out. “But I know she won’t. She’s reading one of her stupid books, and she never wants to play when she’s got a book.” Something Anthony hated. She was the only friend he had, and even she only wanted to spend time with him when she didn’t have anything to read.

“Now how do you know if you haven’t asked her?” His mother questioned.

“Cuz she never does!” He whined, causing his mother to give way to a small chuckle. Anthony didn’t seem to like that, as it earned her a glare that nearly made her chuckle even more.

“Tony,” his mother placed a hand on his knee, squeezing gently. “You might be surprised if you go and try.” Anthony didn’t think so, but with his mother looking at him so expectantly, he lazily slid off of the couch. He grumbled something unintelligible as she scruffed his hair, calling him her little man. Dragging his feet, he made his way out into the graden where his friend had gone to read.

Belle sat on a stone bench, surrounded by the wonderful smell of roses in the warm summer air. She liked to sit outside to read when it wasn’t cold. The sun warmed her toes as her pretty blue shoes with small bows sat on the bench beside her, her tiny feet dangling in the air. The book was big compared to her small frame, but she felt most comfortable that way. At seven years old, Belle was the best reader in her class. A fact she was immensely proud of.

She was her papa’s little bookworm.

Caught up in her book, she didn’t even notice Anthony coming to sit on the bench with her. For a moment, he waited for her to notice him. When she didn’t, he frowned. “Belle?” He asked. Gaining no response, he poked her arm. “Belle.” The girl turned her head quickly, her pony tail whipping to the other side of her face. 

“What?” She asked, annoyance in her eyes.

“D-do you wanna play hide and go seek with me?” he asked, looking down at his lap a moment, suddenly bashful at her vexation. The smaller girl sighed, sounding very much like a much younger version of his mother.

“Not right now, Tony.” She told him, turning back to her book. Just as he thought…

“We don’t have to play hide and seek,” he said, lifting his head a bit. “We could play with the side walk chalk. I know you like to draw.” He suggested.

“Not right now! I’m reading!” She snapped at him. And her book was getting really good! Anger and jealousy rose in Anthony as he returned to brooding beside her. He glanced at her every few seconds, his eyes finally falling on the book. That stupid book..

Out of nowhere, Belle found herself no longer reading but looking down at her bare feet. “Hey!” she called, looking up to see that Anthony had grabbed her book from her and was making his way slowly toward the large fountain. “Anthony! Give it back!” Her little brows furrowed as her face scrunched slightly in pure anger.

“Play with me and I will!” Anthony said, still backing up. Belle folding her arms over her chest and looked away from him.

“No!” She said. Why was she always so stubborn? Anthony’s frown only lasted a second before climbing up on the side of the fountain. 

“Say you’ll play with me or I’ll drop it!” He threatened, having no intention of doing so. Still, as she quickly looked at him, her face turning distressed, he got the reaction he had hoped for. A triumphant smirk flashed across his face.

“Fine, I-I’ll play with you!” She called, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched him dangle her new book over the glistening water of the fountain. She climbed off the bench, rushing over to the fountain, looking up at the boy. Two years her senior, he was already taller then her. Standing on the fountain’s edge made him like a giant!

“What do you want to play?” he questioned, as though he didn’t quite believe her yet. He started to walk around the edge, and Belle followed, eyes trained on the book still being held in danger.

“We can play with chalks, just please Anthony! Give me my book!” Her blue eyes were huge and her brows pulled in. Anthony’s victorious smile only grew.

“Good!” He said, turning to hop off of the fountain. Instead, he lost his balance. He caught himself before he fell, but not falling came with a price. Belle watched in horror as her book flew into the air, landing with a splash in that clear water of the fountain.

Tears filled her eyes, and Anthony looked at the book in shock. The little girl made a whimpering sound that grew as her tears fell and little, balled up fists came to rub at her eyes. Anthony’s mother and Belle’s father came rushing out into the garden to see what was wrong, each tending to their own child. As Belle tried to complain about Anthony ruining her book through heartbroken sobbing, Anthony tried to quickly explain his actions to his mother.

Belle clung to her papa as he lifted her up. Moe and Theresa shared a few, short words of departure as they thought it might be best for him to take Belle home and try and calm her. Watching them go, Anthony felt a strong sense of what could only be guilt. “I didn’t mean to drop it..” he muttered out, his face downcast in the shame he felt.

His mother sighed a bit. “I know you didn’t, sweetie.” she told him, crouching down to his height. “But it was wrong of you to take her book to begin with.” She chided. His head rose, an indignant look on his face.

“I did what you said!” He insisted. “I asked her to play hide and seek and she said no! What was I supposed to do?” His mother’s look was stern as she took his cheeks in one hand.

“Certainly not take away her book and dangle it over the fountain!” she countered. She let his face go then, her face softening as she saw the true remorse in her son’s brown eyes. “Perhaps she just didn’t want to play hide and seek.” She suggested. “Did you think of that?” He nodded adamantly. 

“I asked her if she wanted to play with side walk chalk too!” He said.

“Did you ask about her book?” He tilted his head a bit, not understanding what she meant. A small smile moved onto her lips. “Maybe she would have read to you.” she told him. “And you two could have done it together.” Because she knew her son. He hadn’t wanted to play, he had wanted her attention.

Anthony hadn’t thought to try that, and he shook his head. “Then perhaps next time you could try that?” She asked, gaining a silent and remorseful nod from her little man. Straightening up, she pulled him close as she began to walk them inside. “Good. Now come on, we have a book to buy and you have an apology to make.”

It was the next day that Anthony found himself knocking on the door to the French home, his mother standing close by. When Moe answered the door, he acknowledged them and called for Belle. She came down the stairs, not her normal, sunny self. It made Anthony feel even more guilty. As the girl saw who was at the door, she stood close to her father’s side, almost hugging his leg. She didn’t say a word, and merely looked at Anthony.

“Belle,” Anthony started, unable to look at her. So instead, he opted to look down at the book in his hands. “I-I’m sorry for ruining your book.” His voice was soft and a bit nervous. What if she didn’t accept his apology? What if she hated him forever now? The thought made his eyes sting with tears that he fiercely forced away. “I didn’t mean to, honest.” For a moment of silence, he almost forgot he was looking at the book.

“Oh! I um.. I brought you this,” he said, holding out the new copy of ‘Through the Looking Glass’ to her. Belle eyed the book, and as Anthony slowly raised his eyes to her, he’d noticed they’d changed. She moved away from her papa to take the book.

“Thank you, Tony.” Her small, sweet voice graced his ears. “And I forgive you.” And then she smiled at him, and all of his worries about her hating him disappeared. He smiled back, a bit sheepishly. “Do you want to play?” She asked him.

“Actually, I wondered if you wanted to read together.” Her smile lit up her whole face, and Anthony knew that his mother was right. Besides, what they did didn’t matter, so long as she was his friend.


End file.
